1998 Willamette Valley Vineyards 1998 Freedom Hill Pinot Noir

To celebrate a belated anniversary, Megan and I had an important decision to make. What wine in our collection would be worthy of such an occasion? Our choice was a true treat - a 1998 Fredom Hill Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Vineyards, which represents one of the WVV single vineyard signature Pinot Noirs.

After sampling this sultry deep red, unfiltered gem (91 points by Wine Enthusiast) nearly one year previously, Megan and I decided that this indeed was our favorite Pinot Noir. By the way, the Hoodview and Karina Vineyard Pinots are absolutely superb too! Stay tuned for reviews on these beauties! Ok, back to the review...

After a brief breathing period, two glasses were poured. My first observation was the rich deep red color and supple texture resulting in a smooth mouthfeel superior to other, less refined Pinots. I attribute this unique texture and mouthfeel to the unfiltered nature of this wine.

Placing one's nose over the glass results in a very complex reward that is rich in oak, caramel, black cherry, and vanilla. A brief sip confirms these olfactory signals, while bringing anise and cinnaman to the pallete. The wine is ever so subtly sweet and spicy, rich with the taste of dried black cherries. There is no bite, the Freedom Hill is smooth all the way from sip to swallow. It's the kind of wine that is perfectly suited to drinking in front of a warm fire, rich and elegant, yet comforting and soft.

If you ever have the opportunity to enjoy one of WVV's single vinyard Pinot Noirs, take it. The single vinyard yield allows the winemaker to bring out the subtulty of a specific grape and highlight each unique characteristic. An effort well appreciated in the 1998 Willamette Valley Vineyards Freedom Hill Pinot Noir.

1998 Freedom Hill Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Vineyards

For those who know me, they know it takes a special kind of red wine to get my taste buds rolling. Today during our trip to Willamette Valley Vineyards I came across one such magnificent red wine, the 1998 Freedom Hill Pinot Noir by Willamette Valley Vineyards. Only a few reds have caught my attention like this red did, and I consider myself a discriminating drinker of reds.

Gana's previous post gave a clear indication as to the service we continuously receive from the folks at Willamette Valley Vineyards, which is one of the reasons all of us The Wine Blog authors are Guild Members of one level or another.

The 1998 Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir was selected from the special shelf by our tasting room guide this afternoon for us. We're not quite sure as to why or what the occasion was that prompted such a wonderful and tasty treat but whatever the reason it was well received. The wine has a quintessential dark ruby red coloring. Upon sniffing this wine you receive wonderful aromas of raspberries, cinnamon and spices. I had a harder time identifying the cinnamon but after the second sip it was there. Once on the palate a smoky array of blackberries and cream were present finishing with a long smooth rich finish with a hint of spice. Again, this red is top-notch in my book and has obviously aged well since its 1998 vintage date. Wine Enthusiast too enjoyed their tasting of the wine. So much so they rated this 1998 vintage of Willamette Valley's Freedom Hill Pinot Noir a 91/100. I bought a bottle and cannot wait to pair this with a great rack of ribs, or a well spiced prime rib or roast, or even those lamb chops I've been telling everyone I'll cook. It should make for a great evening of food, wine and certainly friends.

Cheers!